This blog has nothing to do with gorillas (though I love 'em)...fellow bloggers have inspired me to share vintage images of Disneyland from my personal collection. But don't be surprised if you see something from a World's Fair, Knott's Berry Farm, or someplace else that is cool!

Tuesday, June 07, 2016

I've got two vintage snapshots for you today... one goodie, and one oogie.

This first one is neat - a great closeup shot of the nose of the red Monorail. I can't decide if I'd rather have one of those seats right in front, or if I'd rather be up in the bubble dome with the driver. Maybe I'll take two trips and do both! But I'll have to wait until the next Monorail. Notice the Peoplemover in the background, on a downhill grade; the Magic Kingdom version of the Peoplemover is cool (and still exists), but I did like the way the Anaheim version was able to traverse track that was not dead flat.

OK, this one's not really "oogie", but it's not very exciting either. The Mickey Mouse flower portrait has been replanted recently and still needs to fill in. Notice the Santa Fe sign... they halted their sponsorship of the Disneyland Railroad sometime this year (1974). Boo.

I'll wait for the cockpit seat if that's okay with everyone lol! Very cool. I never knew that there was a third place to ride there in the bubble dome level. Such lovely colors with the red Monorail and the blue Peoplemover train.

For me, the downhill grade of the track gives the illusion that it's going faster than I know it actually is. The Peoplemover is a fave of mine; I ride it as many times as I can when I get to Magic Kingdom. I do love an open air ride as was afforded at Disneyland on their Peoplemover, but sadly never got to experience it.

The Santa Fe ending its sponsorship was a blunder for all involved. As Mumford and Gordon wrote in "The Nickel Tour," having those Santa Fe heralds here and there provided a veneer of reality that made the fantasy better - the railroad felt more "real."

I remember riding in the nose and up in the bubble on many occasions. We would always wait near the front and ask the pilot. Too bad they didn't design the new Monorails with a bubble. I guess if they originally weren't going to spend money on windows that open, why would they spend money on a bubble, right?

No other Disney monorails were as cool looking as the Mark III Monorails. They were the best IMO! Sadly, I never got to ride in the front cab or bubble.

Those downhill grades on the PeopleMover tracks, especially the one crossing over the Skyway and down on into the Autopia area were pretty rough riding during the PeopleMover's later years. So while it looked pretty cool seeing the PeopleMover change elevations, it was not always a smooth ride. I always preferred the Magic Kingdom's PeopleMover as it was a smoother ride and the technology more futuristic for its time. Visually though, Disneyland's PeopleMover really added to Tomorrowland's aura of urban futurism.

Nanook, during my many visits to the park when I was a kid, my parents never wanted to ride the Monorail. Not sure why! And then when I started going as a young adult, I still didn’t ride it until the bubble domes were long-gone. ARG!

Scott Lane, I really do love that first photo!

Nancy, you are lucky that you still get to enjoy The Magic Kingdom’s Peoplemover - even after all these years I can’t believe that ours was removed.

MRaymond, LUCKY!

Steve DeGaetano, I’ve always wondered if the rumors were true - that Santa Fe wanted to change the Disneyland trains to resemble their more streamlined passenger trains? My guess is that Walt would have convinced them to continue their sponsorship with the steam trains.

K. Martinez, maybe there was something impractical about Bob Gurr’s streamlined design, but I’m kind of surprised that Alweg’s other Monorails did not start to look less boxy. I do remember the bumpy ride on parts of the Peoplemover, but it never bothered me. Florida’s linear synchronous motor propulsion system is pretty cool though.

Patrick Devlin, it’s funny, photos of the Monorail Green are so (relatively) scarce that I always think of that one as being especially desirable!

Patrick Devlin, I too was always hoping Monorail Green was running when I'd visit. And many times it was. The dark color tone had a total different feel compared to the bright primary colors of the other three monorails. Those were the days! For me, today's monorails just don't provoke that sense of excitement the earlier versions did.

Disneyland's PeopleMover was just plain awesome - elevation changes, a trip through the "back country" of Tomorrowland, and at night a nice place to snuggle up with your sweetie and watch the world go by.

K. Martinez, I guess I’ve always had more of a soft spot for the yellow and red Monorails… guess I’m a primary color guy!

JG, we had a metallic dark green Buick station wagon (and before that a metallic blue Buick wagon). We spent many a family vacation in the back with our sleeping bags. It was also great for drive-in movies.

Chuck, the Peoplemover was one of those attractions that had more than met the eye. Yes, the ride itself was slow, but wow, did you get to see stuff! And of course it was great when you’re with that someone special… I liked the Skyway for that too.

I got to ride in the Bubble Top once, but I can't remember which color Monorail.

I definitely rode Monorail Green during my 1970's childhood visits. Yellow was always my favorite though; seeing it come around the bend at the Disneyland Hotel station was always a perfect start to that years Summer Vacation...